Comments on: Finding a way to unplug

By: Adam Leonard

Adam Leonard — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:15:32 +0000

I’ve come to realize some of my happiest times are when I lose my phone, it dies, or something else.

When it comes to the work place, getting focused isn’t the easiest of things to do. With Social Media distractions, to responding to e-mails.

What I do is require myself at least 2-4 hours of quiet time, where I do nothing but program (as that’s my job here). I ignore e-mails, phone calls, social medias, etc. I find I am extremely productive during this time.

By: Liz Fulcher

Liz Fulcher — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:03:44 +0000

Ahhh so familiar, especially when it’s your own business and it begins to bloom. However, the toll will be paid in burnout, resentment and fatigue.

The same boundaries you uphold in the workplace can be applied to your personal life. Would you permit your family to run all over your office? Your friends to show up with lunch during a client meeting? Would you take a nap, watch a movie or meditate in the middle of answering important client emails? It takes discipline to keep business and self separate when we’re creating a profession, but it can be done. If you need to schedule it in your appointment book that’s okay. Even writing the word “downtime” in your calendar and turning off the computer and phone for a time works.

By: ester

ester — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:58:29 +0000

I COMPLETELY understand what you’re saying … I love what I do, and work doesn’t always feel like work. But I know it’s important to find a balance and have some completely “off” time — otherwise it can really screw up relationships with the non-entrepreneur people in your life.

Other biz people, I think they get being on work mode all the time. But for people with 9-5 type jobs, it’s hard for them to relate.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:35:32 +0000

I know those feelings all too well — the uncontrollable urge to just respond to an e-mail when you receive it, or the inability to “shut off” the work part of the brain. I think sometimes it’s easy to forget those days when we weren’t attached to our gadgets, and it’s a great thing to regain a bit of that lost freedom.

That said, I think you hit the nail on the head by yourself. Just turn off your computer and your phone. It’s hard at first, but you get used to it after a certain amount of time. (And people will get used to you not being on call 24/7.) And if you don’t want to just shut your phone off, then make it a personal policy not to respond to messages if you’re out with friends or in the midst of your “off” hours. I learned to remind myself that the messages will still be there in the morning. (That was the hardest part until I got an e-mail address that was a pain to access outside of work. Suddenly I realized that I would go from 5:30 p.m. Friday to 8:30 a.m. Monday without even thinking about who may have written to me. It was glorious! Obviously it’s MUCH different for you considering your line of work, but the point is the same anyway.)

Maybe try it out and see how it works. I’m sure the adjustment can and will happen if you make that conscious effort to stick to your own hours. Good luck!